Shoe tree



L. A. YOUNG Sept. 11, 1934.

SHOE TREE Filed Jan. 12, 1933 l eona rd A1 6 INVENTOR ATTORNEY ill! Patented Sept. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES SHQE TREE Leonard A. Young, Detroit, Mich.

Application January 12, 1933, Serial No. 651,305 -6 Claims. (01. '12-1 2s.'2)

The present invention pertains to a novel shoe tree, and the principal object of the invention is to provide an extremely inexpensive device of this character that may be furnished with each pair of new shoes at no material increase in the selling price. According to the invention, the shoe tree may be manufactured in large quantities at very small cost if made primarily of wire and sheet metal parts.

The device embodies an elongated wire frame in which is mounted a wire slide movable lengthwise. One end of the frame carries a toe piece, and the outer end of the slide is adapted to engage the counter of the shoe. A spring is mounted between the frame and slide and extends the device so that, when inserted in a shoe, it bears resiliently against the ends thereof. The frame and slide carry interlocking parts permitting holding the device in a contracted .20. condition with the spring compressed while the device is being inserted in the shoe. After insertion, a simple manipulation disengages the interlocking parts from each other, and the device expands into contact with the ends of the shoe.

Further, it is an object of the invention to provide a toe piece that fills the toe of the shoe under outward pressure and thereby preserves the original shape of the toe. The toe piece '30; consists of two half sections carried by the frame member and spaced apart along the center line.

The forward end of the frame is capable of compression transversely, and when the split toe piece is inserted in the shoe, such compression 35,0ccurs and results in the aforementioned outward pressure against the toe of the shoe.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device set in a shoe which is shown in outline;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device; and

Figure 3 is a detail perspective of the device in locked position.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In Figure 2 is illustrated the frame portion of the device consisting of two parallel wire strands 1 which are united at their rear ends by an integral upstanding portion 2 which is substantially of an inverted V-shape. Thus, the frame portion of the device may be formed from a suit- 55..able length of wire shaped in pro-per dies. A

bar 3 with apair of apertures 4 is that slipped k over the free ends of the strands and ismoved to its limit position as shown in Figure 2. .It may be locked in this position by any suitable means such as flattening the strands 1 at the forward face of the bar.

The bar has an intermediate aperture 5 through which is passed a wire 6 lying between and parallel to thestrands 1. This-wire has a return bend '7 forming a forwardly extending strand 8 which passes through the portion 2. The tension of the bend 7 brings the strand 8 into the apex of: the portion 2 as. clearly illustrated in Figure 2. The strand 8 is formed with adownward dent 9 between the bend '7 and the portion 2 for apurpose which will presently appear.

A coil spring 10.isthen slipped over the wire 6, and. its rear end abuts any suitable formation on the wire. For example, the rear end may engage a nut 11 which in turn bears against a flattened portion 12 of the wire, or the flat tened portion alone may be sufficient as a stop for the rear end of the wire. Another bar 13 similar to the bar 3 is passed over the strands 1 and 6 to engage the forward end of the coil spring. The bar 13 may be locked in place by flattening the strands at the forward side of the bar as indicated by the numeral 14.

To the forward ends of the strands 1 are attached split toe pieces 15 shaped to fill the toe of the shoe 16 as shown in Figure 1. These members are preferably shaped from sheet metal and are attached by having the inner edges curled around the strands 1 in front of the bar 13.

In the use of the device, the wire 69 is pushed forwardly until the dent 9 looks in the apex of the portion 2, as illustrated in Figure 3. The spring 10 is thereby compressed against the bar 13, and the over-all length of the device is made shorter than the shoe 16 in which it is to be fitted, so that it can easily be slipped into the shoe. Also, the combined over-all width of the toe pieces 15 is greater than that of the toe of the shoe. For this purpose, the space 1'7 between the toe pieces diverges forwardly as shown in Figure 3. Thus, the space 17 between the toe pieces is reduced on inserting the pieces into the shoe toe and the outward pressure thus set up in the strands 1 presses the toe pieces snugly against sides of the shoe toe to maintain the toe in shape.

The forward end of the strand 8 is then pressed downward with the finger to release the dent 9 from the keeper portion 2. Thereupon the compressed spring 10, being now unopposed throws the bend 7 against the counter of the shoe as shown in Figure 1. With the expansion of the device thus limited, there still remains sufficient compression in the spring 10 to exert ressure against the toe and counter and thus prevent the shoe from curling.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of the construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as in-.

dicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A shoe tree comprising a frame member, a slide carried thereby, a spring bearing against said member and slide, and releasably interlocking parts carried respectively by said slide and frame, said spring exerting an outward force on said slide when said parts are interlocked.

2. A shoe tree comprising a frame member, a slide carried thereby, a'spring bearing against said member and slide, releasably interlocking parts. carried respectively by said slide and frame, said spring being positioned to exert an outward force on said slide when said parts are interlocked, and a split toe piece carried by the outer end of said frame member, said frame being resilient transversely at said end, thereby permitting transverse compression at said toe piece.

3. A shoe tree comprising a wire frame member, having one end bent upwardly and formed as a keeper, a wire slide carried by said member, a spring bearing against said member and slide, said slide having a return bend at itsouter end and extended, re-entrantly through said keeper, there-entrant portion having means for releasably interlocking with said keeper, said spring being in a condition tending to extend said slide from said frame when said keeper and means are interlocked.

4. A shoe tree comprising a wire frame member having one end bent upwardly and formed as V a keeper, a wire slide carried by said member, a spring bearing against said member and slide, said slide having a return bend at its outer end and extended re-entrantlythrough said keeper, the re-entrant portion having a dent for releasably interlocking with said keeper, said. spring being in a condition tending to extend said slide from said frame when said keeper and dent are interlocked.

5. A shoe tree comprising a wire frame member, having one end bent upwardly and formed as a keeper, 2. pair of bars carried by said member, a wire slide passed through said bars, a spring mounted on said slide and bearing against one of said bars and against said slide, said slide having areturn bend at its outer end and extended re-entrantly through said keeper, the re-entrant portion having means for releasably interlocking with said keeper, said spring being in a condition tending to extend said slide, from said frame when said keeper and means are interlocked.

6. A shoe tree comprising an elongated frame having two substantially parallel wirestrands, said strands diverging at their forward ends, a half toe piece carried by each strand at its forward end, a slide mounted between said strands and movable in parallel relation thereto, said slide being adapted to extend beyond the remaining or meeting ends of said strands, and av spring tending normallyto move said slide beyond the last named ends.

LEONARD A. YOUNG. 

